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SUV, truck, and minivan neck protection lacking, study says

A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has found the designs of seats and head restraints in 21 SUVs, minivans, and pickups provide "good" protection to occupants in rear-end collisions, but another 54 have been rated either "marginal" or "poor." An additional 12 have been rated merely "acceptable.&quotThe study found the best head-restraint designs are in Subaru, Volvo, and newer Acura, Ford, Honda, and Hyundai SUVs. Three minivans produced by Hyundai and Ford also have received a rating of "good," while the new Toyota Tundra is the only pickup to achieve this rating. A total of 87 new models were tested in the study, which simulated a 20-mph rear-end collision in a stationary vehicle. Measurements also were taken of all head restraints and only those vehicles found to be geometrically sound in this analysis were subjected to a crash simulation.Some vehicles improved their ratings to "good" since the last study was conducted in 2006, such as the Mitsubishi Outlander, Acura MDX, Honda CR-V, Honda Element, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Kia Sorento. The Honda Pilot and Mercedes M- Class also moved up in their rankings from "marginal" to "good." Yet, several of America's most popular SUVs, the BMW X5 and Dodge Nitro, for example, were still rated "poor." Among the vehicles to not be crash tested due to inherently poor head-restraint designs were the Cadillac SRX, Nissan Quest, and Ford Ranger. In 2006, only six vehicles earned a "good" rating.According to the IIHS, rear-end collisions -- the most common type of accident in daily commuting traffic -- cost the insurance industry over $8.5 billion per year due largely to neck injuries. For a head restraint to be effective, several factors must be evaluated, including restraint height stiffness and overall seat structure. A good restraint moves with the occupant's head to maintain alignment with the torso. If a restraint doesn't provide this function, an occupant is more likely to get whiplash. For full study results, go to the IIHS website.